STIjc  ©ntbcrsttp  of 


DEPARTMENT   OF   ANTHROPOLOGY 
BULLETIN   II 


The  Little    Pottery  Objects  of 
Lake  Chapala,  Mexico 


By 
FREDERICK  STARR 


CHICAGO 

£be  TUntvereitE  of  Cbtcago  prees 
1897 


it     of 


DEPARTMENT  OF  ANTHROPOLOGY 
BULLETIN   II 


The   Little    Pottery  Objects  of 
Lake  Chapala,  Mexico 


By 
FREDERICK  STARR 


CHICAGO 

Gbe  TUnivereitg  of  Cbtcaao  press 
1897 


f- 


NOTE. —  The  illustrations  are  all  of  nat- 
ural size,  and  are  made  from  pen  drawings, 
from  the  originals,  by  M.  K.  Seralian. 


^ 


THE   LITTLE   POTTERY  OBJECTS  OF 
LAKE  CHAPALA. 


Lake  Chapala  is  the  largest  body  of  fresh  water  in  the  Republic 
of  Mexico.  It  lies  in  the  State  of  Jalisco,  to  the  northwest  from  the 
City  of  Mexico  and  at  a  distance  of  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  in  a  direct  line.  Surrounded  by  beautiful  mountains,  its 
scenery  presents  a  bold  and  Alpine  character.  A  number  of  towns 
lie  along  the  margin  of  the  lake,  among  which  La  Barca  lies  upon 
the  Mexican  Central  Railroad,  and  Chapala  is  a  place  of  consider- 
able resort.  The  country  about  the  lake  was,  and  to  a  certain  extent 
still  is,  Tarascan  territory. 

My  attention  was  first  called  to  the  little  potteries  of  Lake  Cha- 
pala by  Francisco  Fredenhagen  of  Guadalajara.  Mr.  Fredenhagen 
showed  me  a  string  of  little  ladles  and  ollitas  found  at  Chapala, 
either  in  the  lake  or  washed  up  on  the  shore.  He  suggested  that 
they  might  come  from  the  site  of  some  ancient  town  built  over  the 
water,  analogous  to  the  well-known  Swiss  lake-dwellings.  Since 
then  I  have  attempted,  with  no  success,  to  find  any  signs  of  such 
pile-structures.  The  fishermen  of  the  neighborhood  deny  the 
existence  of  any  stumps  of  posts  or  piles  in  the  lake,  and  at  the 
times  of  my  visits  the  water  has  been  too  high  for  satisfactory  exami- 
nation. The  question  is  not  decided. 

The  occurrence  of  these  little  terra  cotta  objects— vessels,  ladles, 
sinkers,  spindle-whorls,  and  figures  —  in  the  lake  is  curious.  Archae- 
ological objects  abound  in  the  district,  and  pottery  vessels  and 
figures  of  characteristic  types  are  common  all  around  the  lake.  But 
they  are  all  large,  and  the  vessels  were  serviceable  for  daily  use. 
These  larger  objects  appear  to  be  rare  or  quite  absent  from  the 
lake  itself;  on  the  other  hand,  the  little  objects  which  are  about  to 
be  described  are  so  rare  as  to  be  practically  unknown  at  all  the  land 
localities  with  which  I  am  acquainted. 

3 


There  are  several  points  in  the  western  part  of  the  lake  where 
these  little  objects  are  found.  Chapala  is  by  no  means  the  best 
locality,  though  the  first  I  knew.  They  are  found  again  about  four 
miles  west  from  it.  But  the  best  of  the  known  localities  is  Ocotepec. 
At  all  these  places  the  specimens  may  be  found,  though  rarely, 
along  the  shore,  where  they  have  been  washed  up  by  the  waves. 
Such  specimens  usually  show  signs  of  wavewear.  The  most  numer- 
ous and  finest  specimens  are  found  when  the  water  of  the  lake  is  at 
its  lowest  level.  They  may  then  be  taken  out  or  dug  from  the  lake 
ottom  at  a  spot  where  the  water  often  stands  from  one  to  two 
fathoms  deep.  Many  of  the  specimens  are  coated  with  a  lime 
deposit  or  with  slimy  vegetable  growth. 

I  divide  the  specimens  in  my  own  collection  into  five  groups  — 
ollitas,  ladles,  sinkers,  spindle-whorls,  and  figurines.  Far  the  larger 
number  of  them  are  of  a  dark  gray — almost  black  —  or  grayish 
ware,  fairly  fine-grained  and  pretty  well  baked,  but  easily  broken. 
The  ollitas  are  the  commonest  of  all  the  types.  Out  of  a  collection 
of  261  specimens  there  are  181  ollitas,  15  sinkers,  48  whorls,  n 
ladles,  6  figurines.  The  ollitas  are  really  more  common  propor- 
tionally than  this,  for  in  collecting  I  have  often  rejected  them,  while 
I  have  never  refused  specimens  of  the  rest,  if  they  were  at  all  good. 
Taking  up  each  of  these  classes,  I  shall  describe  the  types  in  detail : 

Ollitas. — These  are  made  with  much  care.  They  are  too  small 
for  use,  and  the  mouths  are  frequently  small  out  of  proportion  to 


FIG.  i. 


the  little  vessels  themselves.    Very  commonly  there  are  two  or  three 
projecting  ears,  pierced  near  their  base  for  the  passage  of  a  cord. 

4 


Sometimes,  however,  the  supports  are  real  loops  or  crests  or  combs, 
made  after  the  vessel  was  shaped  and  then  attached.  At  times 
wart-like  knobs,  grooved  across  so  as  to  resemble  eyes  or  mouths, 
occur.  Any  of  these  prominences  or  projections  break  off  easily 
and  leave  a  nearly  smooth  spot  where  they  separate.  These  ears, 


FIG.  2. 

looped  handles,  knobs,  crests,  etc.,  vary  much  in  position :  the 
crests  may  be  placed  either  horizontally  or  vertically.  The  most 
frequent  type  is  a  small,  neatly  rounded  body,  the  upper  rim  of 


FIG.  3. 

which  is  smooth  and  concave ;  it  usually  has  three  ears  at  equal 
intervals,  placed  near  the  top  of  the  vessel.  In  size  these  ollitas 
range  from  14""°  to  50°""  in  diameter  and  from  13°""  to  48"""  in  height. 
The  series  selected  for  illustration  shows  the  diversity  in  type. 

5 


Fig.  i  represents  a  fair  specimen  of  the  commonest  type.  The 
three  knobs  are  about  equidistant  around  the  main  body.  As  usual, 
they  are  pierced  transversely  for  cord  suspension.  This  specimen  is 
somewhat  above  the  medium  in  size. 

Fig.  2  is  a  specimen  of  the  same  size,  but  with  the  knobs  less 


FIGS.  4  AND  5. 

regularly  spaced,  and  rounded  at  the  tips. 

These  knobs  may  be  developed  into  upward  or  downward  point- 
ing horns  (Fig.  3).  These  are  rarely  sharp  at  the  ends,  usually  hav- 
ing rounded  tips. 

Occasionally  the  vessels  are  not  so  nearly  globular ;  in  such  we 
have  some  approach  toward  jar-shaped ;  the  knobs  in  these  are 

usually  badly  formed  (Fig.  4). 
One  of  the  prettiest  types 
has  the  projecting  knobs  neatly 
developed  into  well-sharpened, 
upturned  horns ;  the  rim  flares 
and  is  finely  concave  finished. 
This  type  is  always  carefully 
made  and  in  nearly  black  ware 


FIG.  6. 


Rarely,  in  place  of  knobs 
there  are  little  loop  handles 
fastened  on  the  sides.  In  Fig.  6  is  represented  a  specimen  of  this 
kind  with  a  plain  surface  and  three  symmetrically  placed  handles. 
These  handles  are  sometimes  notched  along  the  upper  edge  (as  in 
Fig.  7),  thus  adding  a  decorative  feature. 

Such  furnish  a  transition  to  specimens  with  slit  knobs  and  with 

6 


notched  ridges  or  crests.    These  may  be  variously  combined.    Thus 
in  the  specimen  represented  in  two  positions  in  Fig.  8  we  have  the 


FIG.  9. 


three  projecting  horns  dividing  the  vessel  into  nearly  equal  parts; 
on  one  of  these  is  a  knob  slit  across  obliquely  by  an  incised  line  ; 

7 


on  the  second  is  a  vertical  ridge,  notched  transversely  by  three  lines 
into  a  sort  of  crest ;  the  third  space  is  plain.  Fig.  Q  represents  a 
vessel  but  slightly  different ;  in  it  two  out  of  the  three  spaces  are 
occupied  with  slit  knobs.  From  one  point  of  view  this  specimen 
somewhat  resembles  —  probably  intentionally  —  a  human  face.  The 


FIG.  10. 


FIG.  ii. 

two  slit  knobs  resemble  eyes ;  one  of  the  suspension  knobs  forms  a 
fairly  good  nose,  while  the  other  two  are  like  ears ;  the  third  space 
is  plain.  A  second  specimen,  very  close  to  this,  has  a  slit  knob  on 
the  third  space  and  presents  the  rude  semblance  of  a  human  face 
from  any  one  of  three  points  of  view  (Fig.  id). 

8 


An  odd  but  pretty  form,  given  in  Fig.  //,  introduces  us  to  a 
new  series  characterized  by  transverse  or  horizontal  crests.  The 
three  ears  are  developed  into  down-turned  blunt  horns.  Between 
them  and  on  the  same  level  —  near  the  top  of  the  vessel  —  are  three 


FIG.  14. 

little  long  hummocks,  notched  by  transverse  lines  into  crests  with 
five  or  six  segments.  Some  specimens  present  a  combination  of 
crest  and  slit  knob.  Thus  Fig.  12  has  one  of  the  spaces  between  the 
ears  clear,  the  second  is  occupied  by  a  thrice  notched  horizontal 


FIG.  15. 

crest,  and  the  third  by  a  knob  with  a  nearly  vertical  slit.  Here  the 
ears  are  of  unusual  breadth.  In  another  (Fig.  fj)  the  projecting 
ears  are  more  nearly  the  usual  form,  but  not  symmetrically  placed ; 
one  interspace  is  vacant,  but  in  the  other  two  are  a  notched  knob 
and  a  crest  almost  like  a  bit  of  twisted  rope.  In  one  specimen, 

10 


FIG.  1 8. 


where  the  ears  are  like  down-turned,  round-tipped  horns,  they  are 
united  by  two  notched  curved  ridges ;  these  are  so  arranged  with 
reference  to  the  intermediate  ear  (which  is  somewhat  broken)  as  to 
suggest  the  idea  of  eyebrows  and  nose  —  or  an  owl's  face  (fig.  14). 


FIG.  19. 

In  this  specimen  there  is  an  interspace  vacant,  but  in  another  (Fig. 
75),  somewhat  similar,  there  are  three  crests,  filling  thus  all  the 
spaces;  these  crests  are  nearly  horizontal.  Sometimes,  instead  of 


FIG.  20. 

being  near  the  upper  edge  of  the  vessel,  the  ears  and  crests  may  be 
low  down  on  the  body  (fig.  16).  Far  the  handsomest  of  this  three- 
crested  type  in  our  series  is  the  specimen  represented  in  Fig.  17, 

12 


where  the  ears  point  upward  and  the  crests  are  finely  developed. 
Rarely,  both  ears  and  crests  may  be  at  the  very  base  of  the  ollita, 
giving  it  an  altogether  peculiar  appearance  (Fig.  18). 

Quite  a  distinct  series  occurs  in  which  the  crests  run  vertically 
instead  of  horizontally.  These  may  present  one  crest  (Fig.  IQ)  or 
more.  They  may  have  not  only  the  crest,  but  also  the  slit  knob 
(Fig.  20).  The  form  shown  in  Fig.  21  is  curious.  Here  two  ears 
of  the  ollita  are  developed  into  narrow,  but  notably  prominent  ver- 
tical crests,  which  are  pierced  for  suspension  ;  between  them  appears 
a  knob,  probably  the  stump  of  an  ear  of  the  usual  type  pierced  for 
cord  passage.  This  specimen  is  unfortunately  further  broken,  one 


FIGS.  23,  24,  AND  25. 


of  the  crests  having  been  injured.  In  one  specimen  (Fig.  22)  are 
two  crests,  opposite  each  other,  both  perforated,  but  differently  set 
—  one  being  vertical,  the  other  transverse.  This  ollita  vaguely  sug- 
gests a  bird ;  cf.  Fig.  55. 

This  last  specimen  leads  us  to  a  totally  different  series  —  those 
with  but  two  pierced  ears  projecting  from  the  body.  The  simplest 
and  commonest  type  (Fig.  23)  has  the  ears  at  the  base,  which  is 
more  or  less  flat.  The  ears  may  be  located  higher  as  in  Fig.  24. 
Some  are  beautifully  symmetrical,  with  daintily  formed  little  ears, 
turned  upward  and  pointed  at  the  top,  located  near  the  upper  edge, 
Fig.j  —  representing  a  three-eared  specimen  — gives  an  idea  of  this 

14 


style.  Occasionally  looped  handles  are  luted  on ;  such  are  usually 
situated  near  the  base.  fig.  25  represents  such  a  specimen,  which 
may  be  compared  with  Fig.  6.  Lastly,  prettily  crested  forms  occur, 
such  as  that  represented  in  Fig.  26,  which  is  really  a  variant  of  the 
idea  expressed  in  Fig.  17.  It  may  be  objected  that  these  two-eared 


FIG.  26. 

specimens  are  simpler  than  the  three-eared  and  would  precede  them 
in  evolution.  They  are,  however,  far  less  common  than  the  three- 
eared  forms,  which  appear  to  be  the  original  type,  and  from  which 
these  probably  were  really  derived. 

Entirely  alone  in  this  collection  is  a  little  jar  of  reddish  ware 
with  gray  clouding;  it  is  fairly  symmetrical 
and  has  neither  ears  nor  crests.  The  whole 
surface  is  dotted  with  little  pits.  It  is  the 
only  specimen  of  ollita  from  the  lake  that  is 
unperforated.  It  measures  4imm  in  height  and 
31"""  in  greatest  diameter  (Fig.  27). 

Occasionally  little  vessels  of  a  totally  dif- 
ferent character  are  found.  Two  somewhat 
similar  types  occur.  In  one  the  vessel  is  like 
a  cylindrical  jar,  contracted  upward  to  a  nar- 
rower neck,  with  an  expanding  edge  or  rim 
The  other  is  cylindrical,  with  a  flat  base  some- 
what spread  out  beyond  the  cylindrical  body  ; 
the  under  side  of  the  base  is  somewhat  concave.  Both  types  have 
a  series  of  blunt,  thorn-like  prominences.  One  specimen  of  the  first 
type  is  shown  in  Fig.  28.  It  is  composed  of  grey  ware.  But  one 
perforated,  thorn-like  ear  is  present,  but  there  are  traces  of  one— 
perhaps  of  two  —  that  have  been  broken  off.  Fig.  2Q  represents  a 

15 


FIG.  27. 


specimen  of  the  second  type.  Two  views  are  given  of  it ;  one  shows 
four  projections  at  the  sides  (two  on  each  side)  and  a  central  one 
between  them ;  the  other  shows  the  same  four  lateral  projections, 


FIG.  28. 


FIG.  29. 


and  three  (one  broken)  knobs  between  the  lower  ones.  The  perfora- 
tions in  this  specimen  pierce  the  base  of  the  vessel ;  when  suspended 
the  vessel  apparently  hung  upside  down.  It  is  quite  possible  that 

16 


this  specimen  was  intended  to  represent  a  human  face.  In  Fig.  30 
is  presented  a  cylinder,  which  was  probably  a  vessel  of  the  same 
character  as  the  last,  but  from  which  the  bottom  has  been  broken 
out.  Placed  upside  down,  it  plainly  represents  a  human  face.  The 
eyeholes  are  pits  ;  the  mouth  is  a  dug-out  slit ;  from  the  sides  pro- 
ject four  knobs.  Four  similar 
knobs  are  placed  symmetrically 
with  these  at  the  rear  of  the  cyl- 
inder, but  the  space  between, 
corresponding  to  the  human  face 
of  the  front,  is  plain. 

Sinkers. — These  present  little 
variation.  They  are  usually  of 
reddish-brown,  fairly  baked  ware; 
they  resemble  little  elliptical 
pebbles  about  which  a  groove 
has  been  cut.  They  are  strik- 
ingly like  what  Abbott  and  others 
call  pogamoggons,  but  are  in 
miniature  and  of  pottery  instead 

of  stone.  They  are  quite  like  the  beads  described  byThruston  and 
figured  at  p.  320  in  his  Antiquities  of  Tennessee,  but  are  not  per- 
forated. The  only  important  variation  is  in  size :  they  range 
from  10°"°  to  27""°  in  length  (See  Figs.  31,  32,  and 


FIGS.  31,  32,  AND  33. 

Spindle-  Whorls. —  Spindle-whorls  of  pottery  are  found  at  almost 
every  archaeological  locality  in  Mexico.  They  present  wonderful 
variation  at  different  localities.  Those  from  Lake  Chapala  are 
unusually  small  and  present  two  extreme  types  :  (a)  flat,  straight- 
edged  disks,  like  checkers  in  shape  ;  they  bear  various  patterns  com- 
posed of  simple  lines,  corded  lines,  and  dots ;  (8)  spheroidal  or 
quite  spherical  forms,  with  more  or  less  complicated  patterns  of 

17 


FIGS.  34-41. 


lines.  Figs.  34,  jj,  36  represent  the  former ;  Figs.  44,  45,  46  the 
latter.  Intermediate  types  are  represented  in  Figs.  37-43.  Fig.  jS 
is  a  flat  disk  with  grooved  circumference ;  Figs.  39-40  are  plano- 
convex ;  Fig.  41  doubly  convex,  but  flattened ;  Figs.  42-43  doubly 


FIGS.  42-46. 

convex,  with  an  equatorial  belt  of  smaller  curvature.  No  detailed 
description  of  these  forms  is  necessary,  as  the  figures  convey  a  clear 
idea  of  them. 

Ladles. — These  are  not  infrequently  made  of  a  red  or  reddish- 
brown  ware  ;  they  range  from  50""°  to  94""°  in  length  and  from  forms 
which  are  plainly  ladles  to  forms  which  cannot  be  so  considered. 
They  form,  however,  a  single 
series. 

Fig.  47  is  a  simple  shaft 
bent  up  at  the  two  ends,  one 
of  which  tapers  to  a  point, 


FIG.  47. 


while  the  other  is  simply  broadened  and  flattened  a  little.     It  is 
perforated  near  the  middle  of  the  shaft  by  a  small  hole  punched 

19 


through  from  one  side.     This  is  the  plainest,  smallest,  least  ladle- 
like  of  the  series. 

Fig.  48  shows  a  specimen  where  the  shaft  is  quite  heavy  and 
thick ;  at  one  end  it  is  broadened  and  hollowed  into  a  fair  ladle- 


bowl,  while  at  the  other  end  it  splits  into  two  claws,  which  are  quite 
abruptly  bent  upward.  The  specimen  measures  84mm  in  length. 
The  perforation  is  near  the  end  of  the  handle.  In  some  specimens 
this  perforation  is  vertical  instead  of  transverse. 


FIG.  49. 

Fig.  4Q.  The  shaft  is  much  as  in  the  last:  the  bowl  is  less  well- 
shaped  ;  the  end  of  the  handle  is  turned  up  into  one  point  or  claw ; 
two  legs  or  claws  occur  a  little  way  down  the  shaft ;  the  perforation 

20 


lies  a  little  beyond  these.  Fig.  50  shows  a  more  clumsy  specimen 
than  the  preceding.  It  bears  four  leg-like  projections,  two  at  the 
very  end  of  the  handle  and  two  further  down  its  shaft.  The  per- 
foration is  situated  between  the  two  pairs  near  the  latter. 

One  imperfect  specimen  shows  the  end  of  the  handle  as  a  blunt 


FIG.  50. 

point,  while  two  pairs  of  legs  are  situated  along  the  shaft.  In  Fig. 
j/  a  rather  slender,  well-made  specimen  is  shown.  The  end  is  bent 
upward  and  notched  into  three  little  knobs  or  toes ;  a  pair  of  legs 
project  from  the  shaft;  the  perforation  lies  between  these  and  the 
end. 


FIG.  51. 

In  almost  all  of  these  specimens  the  little  projecting  knobs  sug- 
gest the  legs  of  animals.  This  idea  was  probably  in  the  mind  of  the 
ancient  potter.  In  Fig.  52  is  represented,  not  a  ladle,  but  a  curious 
figurine;  it  belongs,  however,  plainly  to  the  ladle  series.  It  is  of 
coarse,  reddish  ware,  darker  within.  The  animal  represented  is  like 

21 


a  dog,  with  long,  slender  body ;  his  ears  (one  is  gone)  stick  straight 
up  from  the  head ;  the  tongue  hangs  from  his  mouth ;  the  eyes  are 
made  by  impressions  of  a  slender,  hollow,  cylindrical  object ;  the 
legs  are  spread ;  the  tail  is  erect.  From  the  middle  of  the  back 
rises  a  little  column,  at  the  top  of  which  is  a  shallow  bowl.  The 
length  of  this  specimen  is  about  ioomm,  the  height  about  50""°. 

This  dog  figure  is  in  some  respects  notably  like  the  extremely 
curious  little  dog-bodied  chariots  found  by  Charnay  at  a  height  of 
13,000  feet,  on  Popocatepetl.  Curiously,  too,  these  were  also  found 
with  miniature  vessels,  which  Charnay  considers  children's  toys.  In 
Ancient  Cities  of  the  New  World  he  says  : 

"  Next  are  toys  and  tiny  terra  cotta  chariots  ;  some  are  broken,  some 
still  preserve  their  four  wheels ;  they  were,  presumably,  a  fond  mother's 


FIG.  52. 


memento  who,  ages  gone  by,  buried  them  with  her  beloved  child.  These 
chariots  are  shaped  like  a  flattened  cayote(a.  kind  of  long-bodied  fox),  with 
its  straight  ears  and  pointed  face,  and  the  wheels  fit  into  four  terra  cotta 
stumps ;  on  my  renewing  the  wood  axle-tree  which  had  been  destroyed 
long  since  the  chariots  began  to  move."1  (P.  171.) 

Also  "  baby  tables,  which,  like  the  toy  chariots,  represented  some 
quadruped  —  resembling  Greek  toys."  (P.  171.) 

figurines. — From  these  ladles  and  the  long-bodied  dog  figure 
with  the  bowl  atop  it  is  but  a  step  to  true  figurines.  They  are  not 
common.  They  are  crudely  shaped  and  of  poor  material. 

1  Figures  of  two  are  given  on  p.  175. 

22 


Fig.  jj  represents  perhaps  the  amphisboea  or  two-headed  snake. 
It  is  of  a  dark  purple  brown.  It  tapers  and  flattens  vertically  at 
both  ends.  Two  grooves  encircle  it  near  the  ends :  on  the  body 
space  between  these,  on  each  side  and  on  the  back,  are  lines  of 
three  dots  each.  Each  of  the  head-shaped  ends  has  an  eye  spot  on 
either  side  and  a  mouth  notch.  The  specimen  may  possibly  be  of 
stone.  The  length  is  53""°. 

Fig,  54  much  resembles  the  last,  but  is  certainly  of  pottery.  One 
end  is  broken  off,  the  other  is  bluntly  rounded.  One  groove 


FIGS.  53  AND  54. 

remains,  and  traces  of  the  other  are  visible  at  the  point  of  fracture. 
The  ends  were  probably  alike.  The  one  which  is  still  preserved  has 
a  dot  sunk  in  each  side,  but  no  mouth  slit.  A  line  of  three  dots 
occurs  along  each  side. 

Fig.  SS  plainly  represents  a  bird.  Its  head  is  raised,  and  the  eye- 
spots,  the  beak,  and  a  little 
crest  are  indicated.  The 
bird  is  represented  as  stalk- 
ing, but  curiously,  probably 
to  facilitate  the  figure  stand- 
ing  rather  than  for  any 
artistic  purpose,  the  forward 
leg  is  doubled.  The  tail  is 
broad, spread, and  upraised: 
notches  indicate  its  division 
into  feathers ;  from  the 
back  of  this  little  creature  rises  a  short  column,  with  a  shallow  bowl 
atop.  From  tip  of  tail  to  tip  of  beak  the  specimen  measures  54"™. 
The  perforation  is  at  the  base  of  the  column. 

Fig.  j<5  represents  a  quadruped.  The  ware  is  almost  black. 
The  head  as  represented  in  the  figure  is  far  to  broad ;  the  front  legs 
are  broken  off ;  the  hind  legs  sprawl  notably  ;  the  tail  is  erect.  The 
perforation  pierces  the  body  behind  the  fore  legs.  Length  68mm. 

23 


FIG.  55. 


Fig.  57  is  a  rudely  modeled  human  figure,  much  broken  and 
apparently  representing  a  woman.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  work- 
manship in  none  of  these  figurines  is  as  good  as  in  the  ollitas,  but 
in  this  specimen  it  is  particularly  bad.  The  piece  is  not  perforated. 

Fig.  jS  represents  the  largest  of  the  figurines.  It  is  incomplete ; 
in  its  present  state  it  measures  64""°  in  height.  It  represents  a 


FIG.  56. 

human  (?)  figure  seated.  The  head  is  gone;  one  leg  is  folded 
upward,  and  the  knee  rests  against  the  side  of  the  chest  or  the  upper 
abdomen.  The  arm  is  curved  about  it,  and  the  hand,  rudely  out- 
lined by  two  incised  lines,  rests  upon  the  chest,  just  below  the  neck. 
A  curious  prominence  along  the  back  suggests  an  upturned  tail ;  it 
is  broken  quite  square  across,  just  back  of  the  perforation,  which 
pierces  the  back  from  side  to  side. 

The  most  difficult  specimen  to  compre- 
hend and  figure  is  represented,  in  three 
aspects,  in  Fig.  JQ.  This  has  a  flat  base, 
from  which  rises  a  clumsy  body  ;  at  the  top 
is  a  projection,  somewhat  resembling  a 
head.  Two  pieces  have  been  broken  from 
this  trunk,  which  from  their  position  might 
have  been  arms,  or  breasts.  To  the  right 
of  the  head  an  arm-like  projection  ends  in 
a  shallow  cup ;  a  series  of  similar  projec- 
tions, all  no  doubt  once  cupped  at  top,  crown  the  head,  while  a  tail 
held  upright  rises  behind  the  body  and  ends  in  a  cup.  Two  eye- 
like  spots  are  on  top  of  the  head.  A  perforation  runs  through  the 
body,  from  side  to  side,  under  the  armpits.  This  object  was,  no 

24 


FIG.  57. 


doubt,  at  first  bilaterally  symmetrical,  but  many  parts  have  been 
broken  off.  It  is  of  fairly  fine,  grayish-black  ware  and  stands  50°"° 
high. 

Such  is  the  description  of  the  principal  types  in  a  collection 
which  was  secured  by  several  visits  to  the  lake.  Other  types  may 
be  found  later,  but  these  satisfactorily  represent  the  character  of  these 
little  potteries.  How  are  they  to  be  explained?  Were  they  toys  for 
children,  miniatures  of  objects  used  by  adults  in  daily  life?  That 
is  the  most  natural  first  suggestion  ;  but  if  so,  why  are  they  only  in 
the  lake  and  not  on  the  land?  If  the  specimens  came — as  Freden- 
hagen  suggested  —  from  a  pile-dwelling  village  site,  the  theory  of 
their  being  toys  gains  in  probability  ; 
but  why  are  not  larger  objects  found 
more  commonly  with  them? 

That  the  perforation  was  of  im- 
portance seems  certain.  The  sinkers 
and  amphisbcena  (together  with  one 
little  jar  and  one  human  figure)  are 
the  only  specimens  not  perforated. 
They  are  grooved.  So  all  (with  the 
exception  of  two  out  of  261  speci- 
mens) could  have  been  easily  attached 
to  a  cord  or  string.  That  they  were 
not  all  simply  sinkers  for  fish-lines  is 
plain  enough  from  their  forms. 

So  far  as  their  presence  in  the 
lake  is  concerned  it  '^possible  that  the 
lake's  level  may  have  risen,  covering 
an  original  place  of  deposit  on  the 
dry  land.  The  spot  is  almost  within  sight  of  the  active  volcano  of 
Colima,  and  changes  of  level,  through  volcanic  or  other  igneous 
agency,  in  the  waters  of  the  lake  are  not  improbable.  The  old 
schoolmaster  at  Chapala  insists  that  the  town  of  Chapala  has  long 
been  slowly  sinking,  and  that  half  of  it  has  already  been  engulfed  by 
the  lake.  He  also  claims  that  the  god  formerly  worshipped  at 
Chapala  was  a  little  god,  a  child  god,  and  that  the  little  vessels  were 
offerings  to  him.  Mota  Padilla  in  speaking  of  this  town  says : 
"  Chapala  is  at  ten  leagues'  distance  from  Guadalajara,  to  the  south- 
east, and  the  lake  is  named  from  the  pueblo,  because  it  was  perhaps 
in  its  ancient  days  the  most  populous  of  those  which  surrounded  it, 

25 


FIG.  58. 


although  today  it  is  almost 
destroyed  by  various  in- 
creases of  the  lake,  especially 
those  of  1555  and  1577;" 
further  on,  in  the  same  pas- 
sage, he  states  that  Fr.  Juan 
de  Almolon  threw  into  the 
lake  idols  of  flint,  green- 
stones, and  clay,  which  he 
took  from  the  natives.1 

Taking  all  points  into 
consideration,  with  some 
hesitancy,  the  following  sug- 
gestions are  made  :  May  not 
these  small  objects  be  offer- 
ings made  to  the  lake  itself 
or  some  spirit  resident  there- 
in? They  may  have  been  let 
down  carefully  into  the  water 
by  means  of  cords,  rather 
than  thrown  in  haphazard. 
May  not  resin,  or  gum,  have 
been  burned,  or  offerings 
placed,  in  the  little  vessels 
and  ladles  and  in  the  cups 
on  such  specimens  as  those 
shown  in  figs.  52,  55,  and 
59?  Their  miniature  size, 
the  forms,  the  location,  the 
fact  of  perforation,  or  groov- 
ing, would  all  be  thus  ex- 
plained. It  is  perfectly 
realized  that  these  hints 
demonstrate  nothing;  fur- 
ther explanation  will  be  wel- 
comed.3 

Notwithstanding  the  em- 
phasis laid  upon  the  locality 
of  these  and  their  mode  of 
occurrence,  such  vessels  have  been  found  elsewhere.  The  American 

26 


Museum  of  Natural  History,  in  New  York  City,  has  a  number  from 
Tillo,  Oaxaca.  Some  have  also  been  shown  me  that  claimed  to 
come  from  near  Palenque.  Some  in  Dr.  Sologuren's  collection  came 
from  "near  Tehuantepec."  I  know  nothing  of  the  circumstances 
under  which  any  of  these  were  found.  They  are  all  ollitas,  mostly 
of  the  ordinary,  three-eared,  plain  type. 

1  Mota  Padilla  :  Historia  de  la  Conguista  de  la  Provincia  de  la  Nueva  Galicia, 
written  in  1742;  Mexico,  1870;  pp.  IOI-I02.  The  passage  runs  as  follows: 
"Chapala  est&  a  diez  leguas  de  Guadalajara,  entre  Oriente  y  Sur,  y  de  este  pueblo 
tomo  la  denominacion  la  laguna,  quiza  por  haben  sido  en  la  antiguedad  el  mas 
populoso  de  los  que  le  circundaban,  aunque  hoy  esta  casi  destruido  por  varies  cre- 
cimientos  de  la  laguna,  especialmente  por  los  afios  de  555  y  577." 

1  Mrs.  Nuttall,  in  her  paper  on  the  little  terra  cotta  heads  of  Teotihuacan,  quotes 
Father  Duran  as  follows  :  "  Food  was  offered  to  each  one  (of  these  images;,  and 
the  tamales  they  gave  them  were  very  small,  in  keeping  with  the  images  them- 
selves, which  were  small.  The  food  was  placed  in  diminutive  plates  ....  two 
little  cup-shaped  gourd  vessels  were  filled  with  pulque  and  put  before  them  "  (Book 
II,  chap.  35).  Also:  "This  accursed  beverage  was  a  special  offering  to  the  gods, 
and  in  several  sacrifices  and  offerings  I  came  across  (besides  eatables)  feathers, 
copal,  and  other  childish  things,  such  as  toys  of  bone,  and  little  dishes  of  terra 
cotta,  and  also  beads;  I  found  very  small  jars  of  pulque  as  well  "  (Vol.  II,  p.  291). 
To  this  Mrs.  Nuttall  adds  :  "  Light  is  hereby  thrown  upon  the  probable  reason  for 
the  multitude  of  diminutive  earthen  vessels  found  in  the  ancient  graves  of  Mexico, 
They  have  generally  been  thought  to  be  children's  toys,  and  to  mark  the  burial 
place  of  children." —  Nuttall :  "  Terra  Cotta  Heads  of  Teotihuacan,"  Am.  Jour. 
Arch.,  1887,  p.  327. 


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STATE  TEACHERS  COLLEGE 
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